1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to electronic components and methods for manufacturing the same. More specifically, the invention relates to an electronic component having a resistor element and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Background Art
Screen printing, an ink jet method, and other methods are known as techniques for forming a resistor element, such as a resistive film having a desired resistance, for a resistor or the like.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a substantially band-like first resistive portion defined by dots having different areas disposed at different intervals and a second resistive portion having a different electric resistance from the first resistive portion are continuously formed in that order on the surface of a base material by screen printing.
Patent Document 2 discloses that a single type of resistive ink is applied onto a ceramic green sheet by an ink jet method to form a resistor.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 60-30101
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-189305
When resistive portions are formed by screen printing as in Patent Document 1, however, the screen plate must be replaced for every change in resistance. Accordingly, a high cost is required for preparing a corresponding screen plate for each resistance and it takes a long time to prepare the screen plates.
When at least two types of electroconductive pastes are printed by screen printing, they cannot be printed at one time. For each electroconductive paste, several steps are required including printing, drying, and replacing the screen plate. In addition, the second and subsequent printings of electroconductive pastes require precise positioning with respect to the previously printed electroconductive paste. Furthermore, electroconductive pastes applied by the second and subsequent screen printing do not sufficiently fill the spaces between the previously printed electroconductive pastes, and gaps may be formed. It is thus difficult to simplify the process.
When a resistor is produced using a single type of resistive ink as in Patent Document 2, resistive inks having different compositions according to desired resistances must be prepared in order to form resistors with the same size and shape having different resistances. This is not suitable for small-volume production in great varieties.